$130 million aquarium, research lab proposed in Florida

Officials with the Mote Marine Laboratory have announced plans for a new $130 million aquarium on Florida's west coast.

According to a news release, the new center will be called the Mote Science Education Aquarium. It will be built on five acres of county-owned land near Interstate 75 in Sarasota County.

Construction on the new site is targeted to begin in 2019.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that the project is being bankrolled by a fundraising effort called Oceans for All: Improving Access to Marine Science & Technology. As of Thursday, the project has received 20 percent of its funding.

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